Sunday, 10 August 2014

Iv wanted to this update for months but as usual I don’t
find the time. Only now with it having been raining all day have I found the
time to sit back and start typing (After I have sorted my gear for the morning
of course).

Since my last update I really have been a lucky angler and
this update is going to contain some special fish.

26th April

I fished the lymm
vale charity tench fish in, prizes go for biggest tench and most tench caught.
Leading upto this day fishing for tench had been very slow on the vale and I
wasn’t expecting much action. A few guys had done the night prior and a couple
of fish had come out on the sandbar.
Swims were drawn and I came out almost last! But luckily my favourite
spring peg was free and going into the match I was filled with confidence.

With fishing being so slow the best bit about the event was
the BBQ in the evening, from the Saturday morning to Sunday midday only a
handful of tench came out over the whole of the vale, Phil hatton won the event
with I think it was 4 or 5 tench, Id caught 3 tench which brought me into
second.

During the night
though I couldn’t help myself but put the rods out for a big spring catfish but
not a single beep all night.

23rd may

My next session on
the vale was the arriving on the car park for a 24 session I had no idea where
to start, I fancied the sandbar but it was taken so I just stood on the high
banks trying to spot fish. I bumped into a carper just below johns hut and he
informed me of seeing lots of tench rolling in front of the car park swim. That
was all the direction I need with me not wanted to walk anyway.

I got myself onto a new bait and new tactics for the session
after seeing lots of posts from Mike who runs Viking Baits and he was getting
‘Plagued’ by tench on his crab and plum boilies, an order was made and I had
2kg at my disposal.

Over the course of the session I managed to bump 4 fish and
caught 2, last fish I hooked I lost and it was a really good fish. Not sure if
it was down to me not striking hard enough of it was my pattern of hook or
something else because im not a big boilie angler usually (this was about to
change)

Me trying my hand at sea fishing

26th May

bank holiday Monday id jumped back into the same swim, rods
were clipped up at the right distance so all I needed to do was cast out and
hopefully start getting runs again. In the 24 hours though I didn’t get a
single tap and neither did anyone else around the lake? Really strange after so
many runs and fish id seen topping only 2 days before.

Trying to hunt out wrasse with mark

30th May

Managed to book a Friday
off work and get down onto the vale, I knew it was only a matter of time before
the fish would start feeding confidently. Set my alarm early and was at the
vale for 4am, the sandbar was free and decided straight away to jump onto it. What
followed was possibly the best tench session I have ever had 28 tench and 1
carp in 24 hours, Including 6lb12oz, 7lb, 7lb1oz, 8lb12oz (which was a new pb)
and 8lb14oz which is now my new pb. All fish came to the Viking baits crab and
plum boilies.

Since that session on the vale I have visited maybe another
4 times, each time catching multiple fish to 7lb.

8lb12oz

8lb14oz

7lb1oz

23rd July

Decide to skip a bit since the 30th may which
included a couple of sessions on the river and fishing the canal but nothing major to report, On the 22nd
july I decided to get out after a birthday catfish so it was back onto the
vale. Between 11pm and 12pm I had two
dropped runs on half a tin of meat, now you don’t get many pick ups on half
tins of meat so I was certain it was a cat. At just after midnight I had
another run but this time it fired off, straight away after latching into it I knew
it was the big girl. I had this fish on for about 15 minutes before it gave any
sign of tiring, it came upto the surface about 50 yards out and just started
slapping around on the surface, it was one of those moments were you are just
praying it comes in. By the time it came to the net I was exhausted and I was
completely blown away by the result. 61lb8oz. it was a monster.

I was almost tempted to go home because it was the biggest
in the lake and I had work in the morning but decided to stay as it was now
1am. 4.30am and I had another flyer, it gave me even more trouble that the big
girl and at one point I thought I was completely snagged up when it went head
first into a patch of weed. Safely netted she went around to 42lb!! happy
birthday to me with over 100lb of catfish.

10th August

Up to the current day, I had a fair well fishing session with
mark before he moved to Canada managing to help him catch his first barbel, I also
managed to catch my first barbel off the ribble. Next weekend its lymms barbel
fish in and iv volunteered to help, I want to try and catch some more catfish
before it gets to cold. I have also joined a new bream and tench sindicate
which I will update to on soon. Sea fishing, I might be catching a new bug. After
having a weekend away with mark and catching my first wrasse and dog fish I have
been itching to get back.

Monday, 17 March 2014

I have been out a number of times but can't seem to catch a single thing!

since my last update i went roach fishing twice (i did manage to catch), pike fishing and blanked, barbel fishing and blanked, catfishing and blanked, did a work party for an overstamp and the weekend just gone after pike again blanked!.

Could this be a build up to something really special? im not sure but its really starting to get frustrating.

all i can really talk about is my roach session towards the end of january. Was more of an exploratory session really because it was netted of all the big roach a few years ago, But they never to get them all. Or at least i hoped.

Wildlife on the roach venue

When it comes to the roach the place hasn't changed, no activity for hours then all out madness for maybe 10 minutes as the roach shoal comes in, then back to hours of waiting.

One of the 1lb+ Roach

Me with the 1lb9oz Roach

This was also a very frustrating session, bumped a large number of fish but did manage to winkle out a couple of roach over 1lb, biggest going 1lb9oz, which really is a lovely fish when you're holding it up.

may take another trip back soon but as always we just have to many fish to go for, River season is over, id like to catch at least 1 pike over 15lb before spring properly sets in so i can pack that gear away and focus on big bream and crucians before i go for some big tench.

This was just a quick update to get the ball back rolling, see you in a few weeks.

Sunday, 19 January 2014

Floods! if you dont like them then the past few weeks you have either not been fishing or been targeting lakes. Iv had many blank sessions whilst out in these conditions trying to target the barbel and feel i have just been really unlucky, the stretch i fish usually fishes very well in floods but i just couldn't find them.

Sometimes this is for the best because it makes me more proactive into getting onto these fish, I brought stronger smelling baits along including spicy meat, some 'special' boilies and frost and flood covered pellets.

But changing the baits isn't enough, I moved every 40 minutes dropping into likely looking areas the barbel might be held up, If i didnt think i was snagged up i would only make two casts into the swim, once as soon as i arrive and second 20 minutes in, to try and get as much scent leaking out from the bait as possible!.

But all this is useless without focus, The first run i received after making these changes i missed because i wasn't paying attention to what was going on, this year if im out ill be focused on the task at hand, you cant brag about lost fish.

First fish of 2014

Last weekend i went in search of pike on a lake that has produced some good fish for me in the past, i was the only person on the lake because the weather was horrendous, I stuck it out all day for only two runs both of which i missed!, At the time i was kicking myself i knew i didnt leave the runs long enough to produce, each run i hit the teeth marks were just before the trebles half way down the whole fish, so think the fish was just turning the fish around in its mouth and getting get chance to take the bait in properly.

Next time things will be different.

I have just moved house and now happily live in Chester! Should be out over the next few weeks so keep your eyes out.

So much for keeping this thing running and upto date! And i had a great 2013 angling year!

Frosty morning searching for bream

In march with snow still on the ground i started a bream quest to try and land my first double figure bream, i did 11+ nights and the aim of trying to catch a double quickly turned into any sized bream. It wasn't until June before i finally managed to catch one, not only did i catch one i caught 3 on the same session with a new pb of 8lb8oz.

8lb8oz From the bream lake

Me and my buddy Russ whilst out for bream

Between March and June it wasn't just the bream i targeted, if you have been following my blog you will know a few years have been spent in search of catfish. Well on the 20th of May on a quick overnighter between work i managed to bag one of 29lb.

The big cat

After catching those bream in June i wanted to try and see if i could try and catch another fish that has been on my list which is a tench of 10lb, I only did a few nights trying to catch one but only managed smaller fish of around 5lb, i did latch into a lovely looking mirror carp of 25lbs which for a moment i thought was my 10lb tench!.

After that carp i sort of caught the bug and did a couple more sessions in search of carp before i got on the rivers.

Whilst on the rivers Chub was my main target, i did rubbish trying to target them but once again something special turned up instead, my second double figure barbel off the upper severn.

10lb4oz.

That was basically my 2013, as you can imagine i did alot more sessions but fish didnt always show up, including the trip me and russ made to chew valley in search of pike. roll on 2014.

Followers

About Me

Started off my fishing in local pools catching small roach and perch then gradually moved onto the commercial scene pole fishing for carp.

Was saved from this and was then introduced to the specimen scene when i caught my first Barbel out of the river Severn. After some time fishing along side the same angler I was offered the chance of learning the ropes fishing for tench and bream on a mere with him.

I now spend my time in search of quality fish throughout the UK changing my approach with the seasons